The Buffalo Sabres' quest to add much-needed depth to its underwhelming group of prospects appears to have turned a corner in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Last month, we reviewed the strong start by winger Melvin Novotny, one of the Sabres' seventh-round picks this year, with the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks. Now one of the team's other final-round selections, center Ryan Rucinski, is drawing praise.
Sebastian High of Elite Prospects noted Rucinski has transformed from "one of the USHL's most likeable players to its most dominant" and pointed out the 19-year-old forward has "been near impossible for USHL defenders to contain all game long."
"Rucinski is a faceoff maestro with an irreproachable competitive drive and a thirst for crashing the low slot," High wrote. "It ain't always pretty, but it's as effective as it is projectable to breed success at higher levels. He's got a knack for getting involved in the thick of things at the net-front and popping out into a half-foot of space right as a passing lane opens up to snap a quick release off the catch, beating goaltenders with quickness rather than power."
The Ohio State commit is playing his third year in the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms. He's tallied 31 points (15 goals and 16 assists) in 23 games this season.
Ryan Rucinski making the Buffalo Sabres, Ohio State Buckeyes excited with USHL success
Rucinski is still a handful of years away from entering the NHL conversation for Buffalo. He'll likely spend at least two years playing college hockey at OSU, and then he'll get a taste of professional hockey with the AHL's Rochester Americans.
Yet, while he's certainly not a quick fix to any of the Sabres' current problems, his long-term outlook has improved thanks to his steady upward trajectory in the USHL.
The Ohio native's scoring rate increased from 14 points in 53 games (2023-24) to 42 points in 49 contests (2024-25). He's on pace for 83 points in 62 appearances this season.
In October, Rucinski told Tyler Millen of Sabres.com he prided himself on being a hard-nosed player and that wasn't going to change despite achieving the dream of getting drafted.
"I just like to play a hard game," Rucinski said. "I like to just finish checks and just kind of wear my opponents down. Yes, it's tough because I'm a little smaller, but I think if you just keep giving body punches, guys will wear down and you can make plays off of them."
Phantoms head coach Ryan Ward agreed with that assessment from the 5-foot-11 pivot.
"He was always a hard worker, but in order to get off to a start like he's having, you have to be a relentless player," Ward told Millen. "... In this league, there's no space; you have to work for relatively every inch of ice, and I think Ryan's second and third efforts have allowed him to excel offensively."
For now, Rucinski projects as a possible middle-six center, but a lot can change between now and the time he may be ready to push for an NHL roster spot.
A lot will depend on far his offense can progress. He's made the necessary adjustments to start taking over games in the USHL, but that's at least partially expected from a player his age at that level. How he handles to jump to NCAA competition next season will tell a key story.
Rucinski may find it tougher to get himself in the most dangerous areas of the ice against bigger, stronger opponents, and how he handles that will be crucial.
That said, his success for Youngstown this year keeps him on a promising path. He'll look to continue that trend for the remainder of this season and into next campaign with the Buckeyes.